The Vault in 2007. It was so packed tonight I didn’t even get to take a flick, just believe!

Last Fall, I attended a Nike ACG event at The Vault on 8th Ave. bet. 133rd and 134th St. in Harlem. The store was still kind of new, and the night drew some choice downtown tastemakers mixed with shoe industry types, real mellow and everybody chilling.

That was then . . .

Tonight, the Vault window had the lettering, “The Strength Inside,” and no doubt it was all about it!

Contrary to ‘07, this ACG jump-off had 200+ Uptown sneakerheads and a nice mix of old people and youngins dancing with no level of self-consciousness that you might find at an equivalent downtown event. In fact, no one here was trying to be cool–they just were. I saw Drew Peets and Jay Shiggs of Mighty Healthy clothing, and of course got to shout out the main Vault crew: owners Rosemary and Wayne, managers King Karl and Larry Love, and the Twins out front holding it down at the door.

Although the store is no longer a secret in Harlem, it is still reasonably unknown on the international market. I know this cuz mad out-of-towners always email me about, “I’m in your town, where do I go get some ill joints?” and I’ll send them to good ol’ Frederick Douglass Blvd. and 133rd, but they’ll have never heard of it before. They don’t leave disappointed though. Even if the exclusive isn’t there, the service is always on the money. The artwork hanging on the wall is bananas, too. They once had artist Joe Buck’s canvases up. I hadn’t seen him since my Footwork days on 9th St. in the ’90s when I carried his Native Tongues t-shirt line. He’s got some multi-media wood burning high level super duty art he’s doing. Mad props.

For more store info, call 212 281 1723.